Jack Hinshelwood is starting to flourish at Brighton & Hove Albion this season after breaking through the academy. And he’s a player who is going under the radar.
At the age of 21, Hinshelwood is a rarity at Brighton. The Seagulls predominantly bring in young talent from around the world, but the Worthing-born star came through their academy.
Hinshelwood has been utilised in a host of different positions during his time at Brighton. But he’s making the No.10 position his own over the last few months.
In this article, we’ll cover
Hinshelwood’s recent form
Over the last few weeks, Hinshelwood has cemented himself as Brighton’s primary No.10. The Brighton star has scored three goals in his previous three games, playing a crucial role in their upturn in form of late.
The 21-year-old even broke a record at the weekend. He scored the Seagulls’ fastest-ever goal in the Premier League on Saturday with just 35 seconds on the clock.
Scoring three times from just 1.2 Expected Goals shows his clinical nature. And the timing with which he arrives in the box makes him difficult for defenders to track. Considering he has spent most of his career so far in deeper roles, his adaptation to a more advanced role is impressive.
The England Under-21 international has started to add more goals and assists to his game since being deployed higher, and Brighton also benefit from a defensive perspective.
Since being used as an attacking midfielder in March, Hinshelwood has five goal contributions in nine matches.
Hinshelwood’s versatility benefits Brighton
Given Hinshelwood has spent large parts of his career in deeper positions, and his experience in different roles helps him when he rotates into different positions. Hinshelwood helps instigate the press in the final third, and the Seagulls benefit as he’s more than competent out of possession.
Learning different roles helps elevate Hinshelwood when he’s rotating into different positions. During the early parts of his time at senior level, the 21-year-old was used as a utility player, shifting into different positions wherever Brighton needed cover.
Hinshelwood is finally starting to make a position his own, but it’s still incredibly useful for Hurzeler to have a player capable of covering multiple roles.
Because he is used to playing in different positions, Hinshelwood understands the requirements of different roles. Playing further forward, Hinshelwood still has that defensive mindset when needed.
Speaking about Hinshelwood’s positional change, Hurzeler pointed to the defensive mindset that he has when playing in advanced positions. He said:
“He still thinks defensively, playing as a No.10. That means, for example, defending the edge of the box when a cross comes in, (and) trying to follow a run from a very offensive (opposition number) six. (Elliot) Anderson in the game (against Forest) made a deep run. He is able to follow it, because he still thinks defensively.”
Hurzeler also mentioned how work rate is a huge factor in his style, and having someone like Hinshelwood in the No.10 role helps the manager implement that.
“He is capable of following runs, because he can run a lot. So, when you look at his statistics, what he is running, what he is sprinting, they are massive, and I am a big believer that if a team runs more than the other team, then they (effectively) have one more man on the pitch and therefore the chance of winning games is higher.”
Going under the radar
When speaking about young talents in the Premier League, Hinshelwood is someone who rarely gets mentioned. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that he didn’t come to England for a huge price tag, or he’s not an exciting name from South America.
Hinshelwood ranks sixth in the Premier League this season for goals scored by players aged 21 or under, while he ranks third for shots on target. The 21-year-old is becoming a magnet for chances in the No.10 role, and it’s important to remember the aforementioned stats include games when he played deeper.
It will certainly be interesting to see how the data looks if Hinshelwood plays in a No.10 role for a whole season. There’s no doubt Hurzeler will look to utilise him in various positions when needed, but it will be positive for his development if he primarily plays in one role.
An England call-up ahead of the upcoming World Cup is, perhaps, a little too soon. But there’s no reason why Hinshelwood can’t make his way into the England setup in the near future if his form continues.
Having a player of his ability and versatility in Thomas Tuchel’s squad would be invaluable, but he needs to show a little more consistency in one position before he gets his chance.
Read more:
- Premier League predictions & tips
- Premier League outright odds
- Latest football news
- Best betting sites
- Best free bet offers
- Football accumulator tips
